Cheongju Slow Rounder · 17 stories
Writes about cafes, restaurants, small outings, and beauty products found across Jeju, Daejeon/Chungcheong, Gangwon, Seoul, and Gyeonggi. · Writes about: Cafés · Restaurants · Things to do · Beauty products
Pastiar is a pasta and brunch restaurant on the second floor on Donggyo-ro 38an-gil in Yeonnam-dong, Mapo, Seoul. A group of 9 friends, including 2-year-old children, shared hangover pasta, basil pesto oil pasta, bulgogi cream pasta, ragu pasta, the Monster Burger Plate and a flame-grilled pork neck rice bowl at Pastiar. Pastiar is a spot for big groups where bringing kids doesn't mean giving up on atmosphere.
Lil' Burger The Hyundai Seoul (릴버거 더현대서울점) is a pop-up from a handmade burger brand that started in Jayang-dong, set up as an orange food truck in the B1 food court of The Hyundai Seoul in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo, Seoul. The writer ordered a Classic Burger fries set (15,900 won), an El Taco Burger sweet potato fries set (18,900 won) and a Cheeseburger fries set (13,900 won) to compare. The sweet potato fries were so sweet, like candied sweet potato, that the writer wished every side had been sweet potato. Lil' Burger is a good stop for sharing three different burgers mid-shopping and comparing their character.
Mild High Club Apgujeong Branch is a café near Apgujeong Rodeo Station in Gangnam, Seoul, serving brunch and coffee by day and dining with wine and cocktails in the evening. Four adults and one child ordered clam focaccia, the Mild Dutch baby, brûlée cheesecake, truffle fries, a Lotus ice box and coffee at Mild High Club. The relaxed mood at Mild High Club made it easy to go from a meal to dessert in one place, even with a child along.
The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch (더족발 신도림본점) is a jokbal (braised pig's trotters) and bossam (boiled pork) restaurant on the ground floor of the Sindorim Prugio 3rd apartment shopping arcade in Guro, Seoul. Seven years after a high school friend first brought the writer here, the writer returned for the 47,000-won front leg and a small jaengban guksu (spicy tray noodles), and the chewy skin and tender meat were just as soft as remembered. The Jokbal Sindorim Main Branch is still a favorite jokbal spot, good enough that the writer took some home too.
Ojo Manggaetteok is a rice cake shop specializing in manggaetteok (rice cake wrapped in greenbrier leaves), on the first floor of the Hongwoo Building in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, near Saetgang Station. As a thank-you gift for parents who hosted her for over a week, the writer chose Ojo Manggaetteok's Mixed Gift Set A (manggaetteok, lotus-leaf yaksik, apple roll tteok and mugwort injeolmi), which the shop prepares for pickup at a requested time if you ask in advance. Her parents welcomed the "precious manggaetteok," making the set a satisfying, traditional-style gift.
Seomin Gapbu Sijang Dakjip is a dakgangjeong (crispy Korean fried chicken bites) shop in front of the entrance to Sokcho Jungang Market in Sokcho, Gangwon. On a family trip to Sokcho with a child, the writer ordered the signature boneless half-and-half dakgangjeong for 21,000 won, with plain fried and sweet seasoned chicken split into one box. The fried side was audibly crunchy and the seasoned side sweet enough for the kid to enjoy, so the half-and-half is the pick if you can't choose one flavor.
Gagas Pizza is a New York-style slice pizza shop on Saemaeul 9-gil in Sokcho, Gangwon. After dinner at a stay facing Sokcho Beach, the writer walked to Gagas Pizza with her child as a night stroll, eating 18-inch pizza by the slice with a draft beer. Open until nearly midnight, Gagas Pizza is an easy late-night snack stop to pair with a walk through Sokcho at night.
Tteokmama Cheongju Yullyang Branch is a rice cake shop selling individually packed tteok on Gonghang-ro in Yullyang-dong, Cheongju. For a daughter who missed the tteok at her grandmother's house, one each of six kinds went into the basket: kkultteok (honey-filled rice cake), injeolmi (soybean-powder rice cake), cheese seolgi, honey seolgi, ssuk-gaetteok (mugwort rice cake) and cloud mugwort injeolmi. The total came to under ₩20,000, and the leftovers were portioned and frozen. Tteokmama Cheongju Yullyang Branch is worth a visit for everyday kids' snacks as well as custom 100-day, first-birthday (dol) and thank-you gift tteok.
Sokcho Hwanggeum Mulhoe Hoetjip (속초황금물회횟집) is a mulhoe (cold raw fish soup) restaurant at the entrance of Sokcho Jungang Market in Sokcho, Gangwon. After browsing the market, two people ordered the basic Hwanggeum mulhoe at 20,000 won per person and shared raw fish and vegetables in a cool, chilled broth, finishing with a serving of noodles. With a spacious, clean dining room, Sokcho Hwanggeum Mulhoe Hoetjip is a comfortable place for a summer meal right inside the market.
Sokcho Topgol Makguksu Main Branch is a perilla oil buckwheat noodle restaurant right in front of Sokcho Beach in Sokcho, Gangwon. After spotting a billboard for its trademark-filed deulmemak (perilla oil buckwheat noodles) on the way to a mulhoe (cold raw fish soup) dinner, the writer came back the next morning for a brunch of deulmemak, buckwheat perilla kalguksu (knife-cut noodle soup), potato jeon (potato pancake) and buckwheat king mandu (dumplings). The deulmemak was eaten mixed first, then with broth poured in, for two flavors from one bowl. Mild, clean-tasting and never harsh, Sokcho Topgol Makguksu is a good Sokcho makguksu spot to bring kids or parents.
Sokcho Bultan Gamja Bread Main Store is a same-day potato bread bakery café on Haksapyeong-gil in Sokcho, Gangwon, open 09:00–18:00 daily with parking out front. On the way to the Seorak Cable Car, the writer's child fell asleep, so the stop became a quick look around the shop and a takeout order of potato bread and jjondeugi (chewy snack sticks) in snow crab, squid and sweet-and-spicy chicken flavors. Even without sitting down, Sokcho Bultan Gamja Bread made the ideal snack for the drive home.
Bubuduri Tteokbokki is a 20-year-old tteokbokki (spicy rice cake) restaurant in the heart of the Bongmyeong-dong food alley in Cheongju, Chungbuk. Ordered à la carte, the duri tteokbokki came loaded with firm fish cake, while the chapsundae (sticky blood sausage), potato fritters and squid fritters arrived hot from the fryer. Bubuduri Tteokbokki stays open until the early hours, so it doubles as a late-night spot for tteokbokki with a cold beer.
